Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Young. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michael, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I’ve always been drawn to creative stuff, and I’ve learned that I need creativity in my life. Of all the creative things I’ve pursued, photography checks off the most boxes: it allows for collaboration, it’s of service to others, and it scratches my creative itch.
I consider photography my 3rd significant creative endeavor. The first was music. I dropped out of college to pursue my love of guitar and toured all over the country and got into Europe. That lasted 6-7 years, and while I had enough successes to keep me going, it certainly had its battles. In a roundabout way, music landed me in New York for on-camera, print, and some voiceover work. I was there for another 7 years, and looking back, it was a pretty challenging time. It was exciting, but it was also littered with struggles. I definitely don’t have any regrets, and I still miss some things about living that life.

However, while in NY, that’s when I began getting more and more interested in photography. I just felt like there was more room for the creativity behind the camera instead of in front. So, I got a camera, started shooting, and spent significant trial and error trying to find my voice. Looking at my current stuff, I like what I’m making.

As far as speeding up the learning process, that was never a thought that entered my mind. The process takes as long as it does, and it’s not about getting to some arbitrary end-point as fast as possible. And really, there is no end-point. You just do what you do, make what you make, find joy in each step of the process, and if you’re inclined to share that work, then share it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born and raised in a small iron ore mining town in northern Minnesota right near the Canadian border. A big part of the culture there is hunting, fishing, outdoor sports, hockey, and stuff like that. You’re tossed into that, and it’s just what you do as a kid. As I got a little older and was able to start figuring out what I really enjoy, it was more of the creative stuff instead of the sport stuff. I learned a lot from sports, made my best childhood friends through sports, can still get into sports a bit, but when I was 13 or 14, I took a distinct turn towards the arts and creative pursuits. I picked up a guitar, learned some really basic stuff, and I was hooked. I continued playing through high school and knew that I wanted to be in a larger city and to be exposed to more. I moved to Minneapolis, went to college while I got into the music community there, and I dropped out of college to pursue music to my fullest capacity. I liked learning in college, but it felt like school was a distraction to what I really wanted and that getting a degree in Sociology wasn’t going to help in any way towards pursuing what I loved. I went all-in, toured all over the US, got into Europe, and it was a ton of fun for that part of my life. That led to a 7-year stint in New York where I was doing primarily on-camera and print work with a little voiceover work mixed in, which was another great period of my life. Up till now, NY was probably my most difficult period, but now that I’ve had some distance from it, I can appreciate it much more. It required significant sacrifice to make it work, and I ultimately decided that it wasn’t providing the quality of life that I wanted. I still miss things about that life and the city, and sometimes I still find myself daydreaming about it. However, while I was in NY, that’s when I got more interested in being behind the camera because I saw an opportunity to be creative—perhaps more creative than being in front of it. So, I started shooting, and it took a lot of trial and error to hone-in on a voice. I had an idea of what I wanted my images to look like, and it simply takes time to figure things out. When I look at my work now, I like it. I like a softer and nostalgic feel. I like imperfections and patina. My work and tastes may evolve in the future, but right now, I like it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Connecting and collaborating with people, scratching my creative itch, and being of service to others. It could partly be where I’m at in life and my perspective maturing as I get older, but with photography, it just feels like I’m actually able to provide a little something more for people than when I was performing music and out in NY for on-camera and print work. It’s cool to be able to provide little memories and frozen pieces of time and space for people through photography. That said, it’s not entirely a selfless act. What I mean by that is I’m really only interested in shooting if somebody wants images in my style of work, which isn’t necessarily middle-of-the-road super clean and crisp stuff. I don’t think my work is way out there, but I also recognize that it may not be for everybody. Like the couple who wants traditional engagement photos, I’m probably not your guy. Does that mean less work and opportunity? Yes, probably. But, that’s just where I’m at right now. My mindset is: “Here’s my work. This is what I do. If you want some images that look like this, let’s rock. I’d love to help and collaborate.”

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

No, not really. I think we’re all creatives in some capacity and in our own way, and I think we’re all after the same basic things. We all kind of get it. I think we all have a desire to build and make and create. We’re all very creative, and you don’t have to be drawing a picture, writing a song, or chipping away at a sculpture to be deemed a “creative.” There’s an opportunity to be creative in anything, and the things that I enjoy about photography can be the same things that another person enjoys about fixing cars, doing people’s taxes, or being a teacher. Some of the things I crave are a sense of belonging, community, purpose, helping, collaborating, providing, creating, and finding joy in the process of my work. You can find those things in countless pursuits, and while I’ve gravitated towards more “creative” endeavors and am currently finding those things through photography, that doesn’t mean they’re exclusive to more artistic things.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelbobyoung/

Image Credits
Photos by Michael Young